Call to popularise Amma bio fertilizers

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As bio-fertilizers have become an important component of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), scheme launched to promote organic farming, Collector S. Natarajan has asked the Agriculture department to popularise Amma bio fertilizers among farmers.

After inspecting the Tamil Nadu Agriculture department’s carrier based and liquid bio-fertilizer unit here on Wednesday, Mr. Natarajan asked the officials to educate the farmers on use of Amma bio fertilizers launched by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami last month.

The farmers should be advised to minimise use of chemical fertilizers, he said. The bio-fertilizer unit here produced 100 tonnes of solid (carrier based) bio-fertiliser and about 65,000 litres of liquid bio-fertiliser in a year.

The unit produced two strains in Azospirillum for paddy and other crops, two types in Rhizobium for pulses and groundnut and one strain in Phospo bacteria, for paddy, pulses, groundnut, and for all crops, P. Raja, Personal Assistant to Collector (Agriculture), said.

Both the bio fertilizers were produced in carrier and liquid forms, he said. While the entire production of solid bio fertilizer (100 tonnes) was meant for farmers in the district, liquid bio fertilizers were sold to farmers in Ramanathapuram (18,700 litres), Thoothukudi (24,000 litres) and Tiruchi (7,300 litres), he said.

The Collector asked the officials to distribute the bio fertilizers to farmers while distributing agriculture inputs ahead of the north-east monsoon during September-October.

He said farmers could get the solid bio fertilizer at Rs. 6 per 200 gm of packet and liquid bio-fertilizer at Rs. 280 per litre from agriculture extension centres.

He asked the officials to explain the farmers the advantages of bio-fertilizers and demonstrate as how continuous use of chemical fertilizers would affect the health of the soil.